Chris Evans wants to open Dorchester's Wellworths store (From Thisisdorset)

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Chris Evans wants to open Dorchester's Wellworths store

11:40am Saturday 14th February 2009 in Latest By Laura Kitching

DJ CHRIS Evans is so keen to open Dorchester’s new Wellworths store he has offered to bring his own ribbon and scissors.

The Radio 2 star told his listeners he wanted to be part of the launch of the former Woolworths store being set up by former manager Claire Robertson..

Ms Robertson, who started as a Woolies Saturday girl and is one of 20 staff returning to the new store, said the radio and TV presenter would be very welcome.

She said: “If Chris wants to do it, then I will give him a ring when I know the exact date of the opening.

“It’s going to be either the first or second week in March, we’ll be deciding over the next few days.

“Chris’s Radio 2 team has told me to ring as soon as I know and they will see if he’s free.”

Ms Robertson said since the Dorset Echo first featured plans to reopen the store it had become a national craze.

She said: “I thought it would be picked up on by a few newspapers.

“It’s been great and, at this time when things are so depressing, it’s nice to have something light-hearted and positive come out of it.”

She added: “It’s great publicity for Dorchester. I’m pleased I can give something back to Dorchester as well.”

Yesterday Ms Robertson travelled up to London and appeared on BBC Breakfast TV.

Earlier in the week television crews from the BBC, Channel 5 News and Sky TV visited the store to talk to Ms Robertson and her staff.

Other interviews have been on Radio 1 and Radio 5 Live, regional radio stations as far way as Birmingham, plus ITV Westcountry and Meridian.

David Murdock of Deep South Media, handling publicity for the new store, said: “It’s a story that we knew would appeal to the national media, but the scale of the press reaction has been remarkable. “Four separate TV production companies have been in touch wanting to make an hour-long documentary about the run-up to the opening of the new store.”

Wellworths will sell many of the lines that the Woolies branch stocked before the chain store favourite closed down at Christmas.

A consortium is backing the new team.

Comments(13)

I Don't Like The New Echo Website says...
6:32pm Sat 14 Feb 09

If there are amy consortium type people reading this, I have an excellent idea for Dorchester. It won't make the national press, but it will make money and is relatively low on start up capital. Childrens clothing in Dorchester is very hard to find. Peacocks is about the limit. M & S- no. Next- no. Monsoon- no. Adams- closed. Woolworths- closed. "Wellworths"- no (incredibly). So, the town is in need of an outlet to purchase good quality and reasonably priced clothing for children. I have retail experience at management level and my girlfriend has many years experience of working in childrens clothing stores. What we don't have is a spare £50,000 (or anything substanial to put towards a loan from a bank etc). In terms of profitability, it will make you more money than Wellworths due to the overall lower expenses.